


School and Aquarium Blues

by Anaya_of_Wolves



Series: Welcome to the Family, Starling [2]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Adopted Children, Aquariums, F/F, Gen, Original Character(s), genderbent, getting in trouble at school
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-04
Updated: 2018-10-04
Packaged: 2019-07-25 08:42:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16194044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anaya_of_Wolves/pseuds/Anaya_of_Wolves
Summary: After getting in slight trouble at school for a fight she didn't start, Miranda finds herself being taken to her favorite place to cheer up.  She hadn't started the fight, but of course she had made sure she stood her ground.------(A fic brought over from my Tumblr and part of a genderbent AU I have where fem!Dick and fem!Jason have adopted a little girl, and everyone is happy.)





	School and Aquarium Blues

**Author's Note:**

> The second written installment for my au! I am so happy that I am getting to write more for this au, because it does mean a lot to me. It is a happy au, and a family feels one that I just love. I hope you all love it too.
> 
> AU: ‘Welcome to the family, starling’ AU (genderbent)  
> Pairing: implied Jaydick  
> Characters: fem!Damian, OC child, fem!Dick, fem!Jason
> 
> From Miranda’s POV

 

 

Miranda hoped her mamas weren’t going to be too upset with her. Honestly, she hoped her grandmas neither would be. But she knew would be.

Not because her teacher or the counselor said so.

But because she hadn’t been strong enough NOT to get into the fight. It wasn’t even she who had started it.

As she sat waiting outside the disciplinary counselor’s office, waiting for either of her mamas to come, Miranda frowned even more as she thought back on what had started the fight that lead to this. Of course, she was the one who got into the most trouble. They had told her so, saying stuff about her new family name and who her Grandma was. Miranda knew all that, but it still hadn’t been right what those mean kids had been saying!

They had called her a little orphan girl, and how she didn’t deserve the right to be called a Wayne.  She had listened to them call her mama names she knew she wasn’t ever allowed to say and would never say.  They were mean things that the teacher hadn’t heard and should have.  Then maybe she wouldn’t be here, and those rotten bullies would be.  But it seems the bad guys didn’t always get their just punishment.

Not that they were bad guys, not like the ones her mamas and her family fought, but they weren’t nice either.

Miranda heard the door at the end of the hall open with some force, wincing and staring hard down at the tiled floor.  She had already counting each tile she could see.  Doing so meant she didn’t have to look at the disappointment in either of her mamas’ faces.

‘Clack, clack, clack’ went the heels of-

Wait!  Her mamas never wore heels!

Quickly Miranda looked up and over, hoping that it was just another teacher and not her mamas.  But soon that hope fizzled out when, instead of her mamas, it was her aunt Demetria striding down the hall on a warpath with a sharp glare in her eyes.  

Miranda shrunk back in the uncomfortable chair, feeling even worse now, because she didn’t want to disappoint and hear such disappointment from her aunt Demetria.  She counted the steps, trying not to get sick over it when her stomach started to turn, but her aunt was going to be over to her in three, two, one-

“Miranda,” her aunt said sharply, stopping right next to the chair Miranda sat in.  The woman waited until Miranda looked up at her before speaking again to her.  "I am going to have a word with this incompetent counselor, before I am signing you out for the rest of this day.“

Miranda couldn’t get a word out or a nod, before her aunt was striding into the counselor’s office and slamming the door shut behind her.  She slowly began to realize that maybe it wasn’t her that her aunt was mad at.  But, why would she be mad at the counselor instead of her?  Or maybe she was mad at both of them.  Honestly, sometimes her aunt was a real big mystery.

Miranda waiting, subtly trying to listen in without leaving the chair.  She leaned closer to the door, hearing only muffled sounds through the thick wood.  The loudest voice definitely belonged to her aunt, that she knew for certain, and the second was that of the counselor.  But she just couldn’t hear just what her aunt was saying!

Once the handle of the door moved, Miranda sat back in the chair, back straight like a good girl, and waited.  Curiosity ate at her, but also the soon bitter taste of shame too.  She waited and darted her eyes over to see her aunt walk out the door with words yelled over her shoulder.

"You do a terrible service to your position, and I will let my Mother, the still biggest patron of this academy, know just how you are treating her granddaughter.  Nothing like this should have ever happened, least of all to an innocent child.  Be warned, you will not hear the last of this from us.”

Miranda watched as her aunt Demetria walked down the hall back the way she came with her back straight and power in her steps.  She could see the ways she looked like her hero self -the imposing figure, the booming voice, the Batwoman-.

“Miranda, come along now!”

The little girl jumped in the chair before sliding out of it.  As she walked past the open door to the counselor’s office, she noticed the woman looking deeply upset and almost glaring at her.  Miranda pouted before hurrying along to catch up with her aunt.

Her aunt Demetria said nothing on the way out of the building, though she did hold open the doors for her.  Miranda didn’t know if that was a good sign or not on the trip out.  

Once outside and in the sunlight, she started to feel a little better.  She felt even more so once she climbed into the passenger’s seat of her aunt’s pretty car with no top.  However, her mood was still a little dampened by the fact that her aunt was still frowning harshly.

Demetria started up the car and pulled out into the streets of Gotham, hands white-knuckled on the steering wheel, and Miranda finally found her courage to ask, “Are you mad at me, aunt Demetria?”

“What?!  No!” Demetria snapped, though her voice softened considerably when she saw how Miranda shrank back in the seat, “Never, Miranda.  I am not angry at you, but the school officials that had let this happen.  No child of the Wayne name should be subjected to such.  It is inexcusable.”

Miranda nodded, feeling a little relieved that the other wasn’t mad at her, but guilt that something she was involved with still settled in her.  She hadn’t wanted to upset her aunt, regardless that it hadn’t been intentionally her fault.

“I shouldn’t have gotten into a fight.  Mama would say so.”

Demetria huffed out a chuckle and nodded her head once.  "I would say so, knowing Richenda.  Todd, on the other hand, I doubt would have advised against it.  I, unfortunately, would have to agree with the latter.  They goaded you into a fight and should have been prepared for what follows if they were smart enough.  Never should underestimate your opponent.  My Father taught me that when I was just a few years younger than you.“

Miranda nodded her head, more to appease the woman.  It wasn’t that she didn’t like her aunt, she loved her, but what she said didn’t make Miranda happy.  She hadn’t wanted to fight, even though the 'fight’ itself had just been arguments that lead up to the other kid trying to hit her before Miranda blocked it and struck back.  Self-defense had been one of the lessons she learned while staying with her Grandma.  Couldn’t be too careful in Gotham, they all had said that at some point to her.

But Miranda had truly not wanted to fight, even though those kids had been wrong about her and her family.

"But they were also highly incorrect in what they said about you, or at least what that counselor idiot told me.”  Miranda glanced over from the busy sidewalks to her aunt, who’s face had softened from the anger that had built up.  "You are as much a part of this family as any of us.  No matter that you were adopted, you are a Wayne as well.  We will love you and cherish you, little starling.“

Miranda’s face broke out in a huge smile when she heard that nickname.  Her aunt rarely called her that, as opposed to her mama.  But hearing that and the reassurance of love made Miranda feel ten times better than before.  She knew she had been right.  She had stood up for the right reason.

"Thank you, aunt Demetria,” Miranda told her, getting one of those rare smiles of her aunt.  Well, they weren’t rare for her, just other people.

Miranda then looked to see that her aunt had missed the way out of Gotham to head to Grandma’s house, frowning and looking confused, and soon asked, “You missed the way to-”

“Don’t worry, Miranda.  We aren’t going back to the Manor just yet.  You deserve something relaxing after such an infuriating day.  So, we are going somewhere nice and enjoyable.”

Miranda noted the small smile, the gleam caught in her aunt’s bright green eyes, and soon she brought out in a huge grin.  She knew exactly where her aunt was taking her and wanted to give the other a big hug because of it.

~~~\ \ \~~~\ \ \~~~\ \ \~~~\ \ \~~~\ \ \~~~\ \ \~~~\ \ \~~~\ \ \~~~

“Thank you, thank you so much aunt Demetria!”

The little girl was glued to her aunt’s side, hugging her with all her might.  The woman, who use to look so out of water when she did, soon patted her head of light brown curls and accepted the tickets of admission from the lady at the woman.

“Let’s head in now,” she urged Miranda, trying to get the girl to let go over her so that she could walk.  Once Miranda did and let go, her hand held tight to her aunt’s and soon began to tug to get them moving faster.  There were scatterings of groups of people and people by themselves.  None really paid the two much mind, even given who they were.  They were left alone to have a relaxing afternoon together.

“Yeah!  I want to show you the new  _Aurelia aurita_  that finally got here.  Moon jellies are so pretty!”

Miranda was laser-focused on the entrance and to the bright blues and greens of the Gotham Aquarium.  It was her favorite place to visit, since she had developed her love all of marine life.  Of course, it had started with seeing a mermaid movie, but now she didn’t want to be a mermaid.  She wanted to learn all she could about the life that lived in the oceans.

It was funny, remembering how Artura had beamed when she had mentioned in on the rare visits.  The other hero had loved to talk to her about the sea, which made her grandma make a funny face.

“You don’t need to rush.  We will reach the exhibit and all others in due time,” Demetria chastised, though it fell on deaf ears.  

The world of the aquarium around them captivated Miranda’s attention.  She couldn’t even count the number of times she had visited, knowing the place by heart.

Miranda felt one tug on her hand, but soon she felt her aunt give way and follow her hurried steps.  She grinned even more, up at the woman walking with her, before focusing in on the way to the new exhibit.

Passing by children with their own faces pressed to glass separating them from the watery world inside of the tanks, Miranda found her past unhappiness because of the fight melt away.  Here she felt happy, really and truly happy.  It was like when she went home or to her grandma’s home.  It felt safe and nice.  If she could, she would live at the aquarium.  But even she knew that wasn’t possible.

The way to the new exhibit felt like it took forever for them to get there.  Though, had she paid attention, she would have noticed it was only a few minutes.  But once there, Miranda stopped with wide, bright eyes at the scene before her.

“Look, they are so pretty.”

“Indeed, they are,” Demetria said after a pause, staring more at Miranda who was staring in wonder at the tank.

The tank and its viewing glass looked like the others in the aquarium, but what floated inside was the crown piece.  Soft white jellyfish with a flower shape on the caps floated through the water.  The white roundness of the jellyfish certainly lived up to its name as Moon jellies.

Miranda reached up with one of her hands, pressing it to the glass, and breathed out, “Wow.”  Of course, she had seen pictures in books about them, but to see them in person was a different experience.  One she wouldn’t forget so easily.

She stayed like that for minutes, but to her time meant nothing.  Her eyes tracked the moving jellyfish, watching them flow with the tank’s current.  Every new sea life that had come to the aquarium and the ones that she had seen on her very first visit had done this.  Enraptured her to them.  Now she was fallen once more under their spell.

“Miranda, why don’t we take a seat, and you can tell me all about them, hmm?”

Miranda finally glanced away from the jellyfish, looking up at her aunt.  Demetria had a soft smile on her lips, looking so nice with it.  She was happy that her aunt was happy.  Quickly she nodded her head, and they both walked over to the bench opposite of the viewing glass to take a seat.

“Well, they are carnivorous, but not like sharks.  Well, sometimes they eat fish, but they don’t have teeth and…”  It continued like that.  Miranda listing off all that she knew, while Demetria sat their nodding her head as she listened.

An hour or so passed since the two had arrived.  Miranda continued to speak to her aunt, telling her all that she knew.  It was a much better improvement than when she had been picked up.  The girl was more vibrant and happier.  Demetria was glad that she had thought of this, though she had thought and executed this plan without doing one key thing.

“There you two are!”

Both Miranda and Demetria glanced over when they heard a familiar, raised voice.  The former lit up bright, grinning and hurrying off the bench to run over to her mama’s outstretched arms.  She was quickly picked up and hugged, getting a head pat from her mommy as well.

“Mama!  Aunt Demi’ was so nice, and she brought me here to feel better.  Don’t be mad at her, because I told her all about the Moon jellies!”

Rikki chuckled as she listened to her daughter, pressing a kiss to her temple and glancing to her younger sister.  At her side, Jacin was already giving Demetria a slight annoyed look, though it was waning.

Demetria scoffed a bit, fixing her shirt wrist cuff, “Took you longer than I had thought it would to find us.  I think you are getting slower, Richenda.”

Miranda gave her mama one last big squeeze of her hug before leaning back a bit to look her mama in the face.  The other didn’t look too upset with her, but she could still see that her mama had been worry.  She got a look in her blue eyes, and they also looked more like a sad, rainy sky than a bright blue one.

“She wanted to make me feel better after the kids from school made fun of me.”

Her eyes jumped over to Jacin next to her before returning back to look at Miranda.  The little girl looked sorry but also not for doing so, the fight and coming here.

“We know, sweetie.  We just weren’t told where your aunt took you.  Not mad at you at all,” her mommy said to her, patting her back lightly. “Nor are we mad at Demi’.  I’m glad you are feeling better now.”

Huffing as though she didn’t get enough credit for making the child happy, Demetria walked a few steps closer, already moving to step around the trio, “Glad that I can help your daughter feel better.  You should-”

“We should all spend some time together, right, my starling?”

Miranda perked up in hearing that, picking her head off her mama’s shoulder and quickly nodded it.  "Yeah, yeah, yeah!“  She glanced over to her mommy and to her aunt over her shoulder.  Both of them didn’t look as excited, though they did smile a little bit.  It looked funny on their faces.  But they didn’t say no, which was good!

"Seems like the kiddo wants to show us as well then.  Let’s go.”  

Jacin gave Demetria a look, daring her to say 'No’ to the little girl.  Of course, she didn’t, but she didn’t look too happy to be in Jacin’s company.  But for Miranda, she would.  She would do so much for her precious niece.  Miranda was like those jellyfish, so pretty and so delicate.

Miranda was overjoyed when they agreed, hugging her mama more as she walked back over to the Moon jellies while carrying her.  She was so happy to have a family like hers.  Her mamas, her aunts, and everyone in her family meant the world to her.  Just like all the sea life she loved, she loved them all dearly too.

 


End file.
